And thomas b



2 SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.)

G. MORTIMER, T. B. MOORE 85 J. H. WOODMAN.

TRUNK, PAGKING CASE, &0.

I Patented 1390.16,.1884.

INVENTORS .Zi

WITNESSES I 2 Sheets-Sheet; 2'. G. MORTIMER, T. B.'1VIO0RE-& J. H. WOODMAN.

(No Model.)

TRUNK, PACKING CASE, 8m.

Patented Dec. 16,1884.

' INVENTORS BY ATTORN Y WITNESSES:

llniren Sal-Arne Parent Oriana.

GEORGE MORTIMER, OF GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT, AND THOMAS B. MOORE AND JOEL H. VOODMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TRUNK, PACKING-CASE, 84.0.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 309,239, dated December 1.6, 188%.

Application filed May 6, 1884. (No model) To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE MORTIMER, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Greenwich, Fairfield county, and State of Connecticut, and THOMAS B. MOORE, a citizen of the United States, and JOEL H. VOODMAN, a citizen of the United States, both residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Trunk, Packing-Case, and Similar Articles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trunks, valises, packing-cases, and similar articles made of 1 veneers or scale-boardP-a material composed of two or more sheets of wood gluedor cemented together,with the grain of one sheet running at an angle to the grain of the adjoining sheet or sheets.

The object of our invention is to produce shells for rectangular trunks and similar articles made from the said material, constructed in such a manner that the shell of the article shall be jointless at the angles, and shall be supported against exterior pressure while retaining the peculiar elasticity of the material. The invention consists in a shell for trunks and similar articles formed of two or more sheets of veneering glued or cemented to- 0 gether, and having the sides of the body and cover, respectively, formed in one piece with the bottom and top by bending the material into the proper shape at the angles, and having the end pieces set in against a strip or 5 strips fastened to the inside surface of the trunk, near the ends of the body and cover, respectively, in such a manner that the sides of the body and cover are braced by the end pieces, and the end pieces are in turn pre- 0 vented from being crushed in by the strips.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a trunk made in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a telescopic or extensible 5 packing-case. Fig. 3 represents, in perspective, the several parts of which the shell of the trunk is composed shaped and ready to be put together. Fig. f: is a perspective of the shell of the trunk after the several parts have been put together. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the shell.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section taken on line a: x of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 represents a valise made in accordance with our invention.

Referring to the drawings, Arepresents the 5 5 lid or cover, and B the body or main part, of the trunk. These parts are made of veneers or scale-board composed of two sheets of wood glued or cemented together with the grain running in different directions; but any de- 6 sired number of sheets may be used. The cover Ais bent or shaped by pressure, so that the top a of the cover is given a convex form, and the sides are bent down at right angles to the top, so as to form front and back parts, I) 6 5 b, which connect with the top a by rounded corners d d, and thus avoid longitudinal joints. The cover shown in the drawings has its top curved outward or upward both transversely andlongitudinally, forming thus adoubleareh, which is the preferred form for the top, as it possesses great strength; but we do not limit the invention to that particular form, as the top may be arched in one direction only or be perfectly flat, as in the extensible packing- 7 5 case, Fig. 2. The only requisite is that the junction of the top a with the front band back 6 shall be round. This form is best suited to the material, as it forms an elastic connection which allows the front and back and top to yield to concussions, jars, &c., without liability of fracture, and by the resilience of the rounded corners when the connected parts a b I) spring out or yield to pressure, (cc, they are immediately returned to their proper position. 8 5 The rounded connection also forms an arch, which prevents pressure and blows against the corners of the trunk from affecting the connected parts. The body B has its bottom 6 made in one piece with the front and back, f f by bending the sheet or piece of material from which they are formed at about right angles to the bottom. The corners or junctions 9 g of the bottom with the sides or back and front are also rounded, the same as the 5 corresponding parts of the cover, for the purpose of increasing the strength of the body. While it is preferred that the bottom 6 should be in one piece, it may be made in two parts divided longitudinally, as indicated by the dotted line, Fig. 4, and the back formed with one part and the front with the other. The

ends D D are made of the same shape as the trunk when viewed in cross-section, and of the size of the interior of the trunk, so that they fit tightly within the same and form a flush connection with the ends of the shell, and they are secured in place by nails or other suitable fastenings. By setting in the ends D D they are made to serve as braces for the sides or front and back of the trunk-shell, both the body and cover. The said parts being from the nature of the material quite elastic, and being formed in one piece with the top and bottom and with rounded corners, yield when subjected to external pressure; but by inserting the end pieces the ends of the shell are prevented from yielding, and only the middle portions give when pressed against, and thus theproper elasticity of the shell is retained without weakening the same, and without liability of the ends of the shell drawing away from the end pieces. To prevent the ends from being forced in, a strip, z, of wood is laid near each end of the shell, both of the cover and body, against which the end pieces bear,

and are thereby prevented from being forced In setting up the trunk the body and top or cover and the ends are first prepared from the veneer, and shaped as shown in Fig; 3. The endsD, itwill be seen, are first made of asingle piece. The parts are then put together by gluing and nailing the top or cover and body to the ends DD, forming thus ashell in which the top and body are connected together by the end pieces. The end pieces are then sawed through on the dotted lines 3 y, which coincide with the division-lines between the back and front of the top and body, respectively, and thereby the two parts are provided with end pieces, h h. V

After the shell of the trunk is formed and put together in the above manner it can be covered with canvas or metal orleft uncovered, as may be preferred, and it can be finished in any manner that may be desired and as strongly as the use to which it is to be applied may require.

The extensible packing-case shown in Fig.

2 is made in substantially the same manner as.

the trunk, except that the part of the ease E which is outside, and into which the outer part, E, telescopes, may be made without the end strips, i, as thereby the two parts may be fitted together more closely, and at the same made of strips or pieces of variously-colored time the end pieces will be supported by the ends of the inside part E; but in the process of manufacturing-this style of trunk or packing-ease the two parts are made separately, as one is smaller than the other.

The Valise shown in Fig. 7 maybe made by the same process as the trunk, as the two parts F F are of the same size, and the end pieces can be separated after the parts are put together the same as the corresponding parts of the trunk.

The veneering used in the manufacture of the trunks, valises, &c, may, asbefore stated, be of any number of thicknesses, layers, or plies, and the outside layer or sheet may be woods placed parallel to each other or in any other suitable design to give an ornamented appearance to the article. Furthermore, the top part, a, may be divided longitudinally,the same as the bottom 0.

We claim- 1. As an improved article of manufacture,a veneer or scale-board trunk constructed as follows: the cover A, having its front and back formed in one piece with the top and connected therewith by rounded corners d d, and the end pieces, D D, set in, so as to brace the top, front, and back, and the body B, having its front and back formed in one piece with the bottom 0, and connected therewith by rounded corners g g, and the end pieces, D D, set in so as to brace the bottom, front, and back, substantially as specified.

2. In a trunk-shell the top, bottom, front, and back whereof are composed of veneers or scale-board, and having rounded corners d d g g, the strips 13 i, placed around the inside of the shell, near the ends thereof, in combination with the end pieces, D D, set in the ends of the shell against the stripsi z, substantially 95 as specified.

GEORGE MORTIMER. THOMAS B. MOORE. JOEL H. \VOODMAN.

\Vitnesses as to signature of George Mor timer:

D. DAVID, VICTOR LEVI.

WVitnesses as to signatures of Thomas B. Moore and Joel H. WVoodman:

A. B. DODGE, MILLARD R. J ONES. 

